Coocoostan
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| One Goal, One Passion, Coocoostan | |||||
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| Spoken Languages - Official - Unofficial |
English, Russian French, Swahili, Arabic | ||||
| Capital | Coocoobad | ||||
| Largest city | Coocoobad | ||||
| Ten largest metropolitan areas Coocoobad - 26,495,000
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| President | Andrei Pakhomov (SPB) | ||||
| Prime Minister | Yuri Simonov (SPB) | ||||
| Population - Total (2006 est., RPed) |
86,351,500 | ||||
| Establishment | 1991 | ||||
| Government type | Republic with unicameral legislature | ||||
| National animal | Ibix | ||||
| GDP (FY2006/07) - Total (USD) - GDP/capita (USD) |
$534.8 billion $6108.50 | ||||
| Currency | Gropek | ||||
| Time Zone Summer (DST) |
UTC +3 to +8 hrs UTC +4 to +9hrs | ||||
| PDAS rating | C | ||||
| National Anthem | Charge of the Cossacks | ||||
| Internet TLD | .coo | ||||
| Calling Code | +250 | ||||
The Democratic Republic of Coocoostan is a rapidly developing nation in The East Pacific. The country has begun a period of unprecedented growth in the last five years, emerging from the third world and with a more open model of government, into the first.
The nation has recently reformed its internal subdivisions, simplifying a previously complicated system into 11 Oblasts and 2 Federal Cities. Coocoostan is a free and open democracy, with elections mandated annually by law.
Coocoostan’s Capital, largest city and cultural epicenter is Coocoobad, a city of 26.4 million people. The city is such an attractive destination for movement within the country that you require permission from the Interior Secretariat to move there unless you meet certain requirements.
Contents
History
Coocoostan came into existence on the 8th of December, 1991, with the collapse of the Soviet Union, when a provisional government was established under the control of Maxim Kaygorodov.
Kaygorodov began an aggressive campaign to remove outward signs of communist influence. He began to remove communists from government agencies and began to remove entire branches of the old bureaucracy. Coocoostan’s first test came in 1994, when opposition parties began to demand elections. He acquiesced and in October of that year, won a vast majority in the People’s Assembly. He would continue to forge a democratic state and in his third term (1998-2002), a massive influx of immigrants from around the Pacific Rim began to move in. It was this group of people that began to slowly change the face of Coocoostan. In 2001, the Trans-Coocoostan Highway was completed, replacing the old A1 with a four-lane expressway from Coocoobad to the Packilvanian border. Kaygorodov sold off many government-owned companies and allowed private industry in such fields as Air Travel and Oil.
Coocoostan entered the United Nations in 2005 .As well, Kaygorodov abolished the People’s Assembly in the same year and replaced it with a Parliamentary Congress, all 32 members of which were directly elected. He lost the election to Tammy Hagans of the Labour Party in December of that year. The first year of the Hagans presidency saw the establishment of over a dozen foreign embassies and consulates, a reorganisation of the military and territorial purchases of Aubrey(giving the nation a harbour) as well as San Andreas and a military occupation of Darrowmere (defeating the forces of the Trinkomali Clan). Furthermore, a Democratic Reform Act saw the implementation of proportional representation, as well as the expanding of the Parliamentary Congress to 215 members.
The National party introduced a motion of no-confidence against the president in November 2006, as a series of shootings rocked the country. Madeline Tang of the Heritage Party won the election, but couldn't secure ratification, leaving Hagans as the 2nd candidate. Hagans' second term was marred by infighting, although the International Fair Trade Agreement was ratified. Still, in January 2007, the oil tanker Kapitan Ganev was attacked by the Coocoo Liberation Front, spilling millions of litres of oil. Combined with a CLF offensive in remote areas of Coocoo Autonomous Oblast, Hagans became weak on security issues. As well, Green party leader Craig Blain issued his "loyal challenge", which was that the military had to be reduced in size to 825,000 total and his party needed to be issued another cabinet member. Hagans refused the second demand and Blain introduced a successful no-confidence motion.
In the election of February 9, 2007, Andrei Pakhomov of the Simonov-Pakhomov Blok was the ultimate winner and was ratified as the nation's 3rd president.
Economy
The Economy of Coocoostan is growing at an exponential rate, particularly in the Information Technology sector. Coocoostan recently became a signatory of the International Fair Trade Agreement, which has so far brought billions of dollars in business with Kelssek, Coocoostan's direct neighbour.The economy has also fallen victim to several oligarchs, who control multiple business interests bought in the aftermath of independence in 1991.
Geography/Climate
Coocoostan has a wide variation in it's Geography and climate. In the north, the climate is generally warm and dry in the summer and cold with snow in the winter. In the south, the climate stays generally warm year-round, with heavy rain common during the winter. Coocoostan is a relatively flat nation, with only the Ondak mountains in the North and Mount Chiliad and the remainder of the south east as exceptions.
People
Coocoostan is a society in a period of significant social and ethnic change. Within the past ten years, a massive influx of English and Chinese immigration has changed the face of society. Within the past year, two large groups of Africans, as well as additional persons of English, Hispanic and Kelssekian origin have rapidly transformed the society further.
Ethnic Breakdown
- English- 27%
- Coocoo- 26%
- African- 25%
- Chinese- 6%
- Ondak- 6%
- Russian- 4%
- Hispanic- 4%
- Kelssekian- 2%
- Arab- 1%
Less than 1%: Bedouin, French, Native-American, German
It is interesting to note that while within Kelssek "Kelssekian" is not considered an ethnicity, it is within Coocoostan, to guarantee the citizens of Aubrey Federal City, purchased in 2006, certain rights guaranteed to them in the purchase afgreement.
Food
The variety of food within Coocoostan is as varied as its people. Beef, chicken and venison are staples, while pork is largely avoided outside the home, as the large Islamic population makes it impractical. Most fruits and vegetables are available. The shift from outdoor to indoor markets has been underway since 1991 and with the exception of the former Darrowmere, is largely complete.
Traditional dishes are most prevalent among the Coocoo, Ondak and Russian ethnic groups, who largely share Soviet traditions. As such, Samovars and tea houses are extremely common, with some serving both Russian and English teas. Hispanic, African and Halal cuisine are also widely available, depending on the area of the country.
Western-style fast-food restaurants are prevalent in San Andreas and are becoming widespread in the North of the country, with only Darrowmere being the exception.
Religion
One of the most treasured aspects of Coocoostani independence is freedom of Religion, which is readily exercised by the populace. Orthodox Christianity is the most prevalent, with other forms practiced as well. Islam is also popular, particularly amongst Coocoo, Ondak and Arab residents as well as many Africans. As a result of the Communist-era, many Coocoostanis are not religious, although there is a deep and passionate divide between Atheists and Agnostics.
Religious Breakdown
- Christian
- Orthodox-45%
- Catholic-5%
- Protestant-2%
- Islamic
- Sunni-14%
- Shi'a -4%
- Jewish-2%
- Non-Religious
- Agnostic-22%
- Atheist-8%
Language
The official languages of Coocoostan are English and Russian, with the latter on the decline in significance. Russian was established as an official language under old demographics, wheras now, Russophones comprise a much smaller group of the population and several parties have proposed scrapping Russian altogehter. Coocoo,Arabic, French, Spanish and Ondak are also spoken, although much less than the official languages, with the exception of Coocoo, which is re-emerging amongst the Coocoo population.
Sport
The Coocoostani love of sport is also widespread, and reflects a current trend of professionalizing amongst athletes. Major national leagues exist for Hockey, Football, American Football and Baseball. The most popular individual sport is Boxing, with a National Semi-Amateur circuit in operation. Coocoostan's boxing team won 4 medals at the last Summer Olympics, the most of any sport. Boxer Jake Sutton won the first Olympic Gold Medal in national history. Other popular sports include Rally,and most Winter Olympic events. Coocoostan competes regularly in the winter and summer Olympics and sent a delegation to the 2nd Winter Olympiad for a fact-finding mission, before sending a team to the Second Summer Games. Coocoostan will also compete in the 3rd Winter Olympiad.
Within the East Pacific, Coocoostan is regarded as a power in Hockey, having placed 1st and 2nd in East Pacific Hockey Championship 4 and 5 respectively.
Internationally, Coocoostan placed 3rd at the first World Water Polo Championships. Coocoostan also competes internationally in Cycling and Football.
Media
The main media conglomerate within Coocoostan is the Brodcasting System of Coocoostan(BSC), which is State owned. BSC operates 8 television channels(English, Russian, Sport, Business, Culture/Arts, Government, Kids and Foreign Service) and numerous radio stations . They also operate a website at http://bsc-online.blogspot.com/ .
As well, Coocoostan Television Network(CTN) brodcasts nationwide.The "Amerikanets" brodcasts a Russian-language English-style format. There are also many independent local stations.
There are several national newspapers. The Coocoobad Post(English), Ekran(Russian, Coocoobad) and Coocoostansky Sport(In both Russian and English) are amongst the most popular. Most communities over 10,000 people have a daily newspaper.
Holidays
Holidays in Coocoostan are few, with only three national holidays.
- January 7: Christmas
The holiday of Christmas within the Orthodox church. Most of the minority of other Christians do not celebrate Christmas, although their rights to refrain from working on December 25th are legally enshrined, as are certain rights for Muslims during Ramadan.
- May 9: Victory Day
Commemorates the victory of the Soviet Union over Germany in the Second World War and serves as a memorial to the many Coocoostanis killed on the eastern front.
- December 8: National Day
Commemorates the signing of the Belavezha Accords, officially dissolving the Soviet Union and creating the Commonwealth of Independent States, of which Coocoostan is not a member.
Government
Federal Government/Politics
The Parliamentary Congress(PC) is unicameral, with 225 Members of the Parliamentary Congres(MPC) being elected annually by law. The seats are distributed by population and elected by Proportional Representation amongst the various subdivisions. The head of state and head of the government is the President, who is elected seperately. The current President is Andrei Pakhomov, of the Simonov-Pakhomov Blok. Stalemates in government are avoided by requiring the President-Elect to be ratified by the PC within two weeks of winning election. Should they be unable to do so, the next candidate comes up for ratification until ratification passes.
Coalition government is common, with the past New Era Coalition(NEC) consisting of the Green, Labour and National parties and on occasion the Unionist party. As of February 2007, the coalitions for the 16th Parliamentary Congress are being formed.
Political Parties
(Seat Count Current as of May 10,2007)
The SPB has surged under their leader and current president Andrei Pakhomov. The party is slightly right of centre, but is supportive of some more socialist ideals, such as socialized medicine and abortion rights.
- Communist Party(29)
The Communists are another of the second generation political parties and have a significant degree of support amongst lifelong communists. They favour a return to the communist system, although with a more democratic approach than before. Just how democratic is ambiguous and since they are unlikely to become much more popular, it is unlikely to be defined.
- Independence Party(28)
The Independence Party is Neo-Conservative in ideology and led by former Naval Officer and Radio Host Veronica Bergan. The party is continuing to surge in popularity and while the Heritage Party attempted to absorb it, it appears the opposite could soon happen.
- People's Will Party(21)
A new left-wing party, the People's will handily defeated the other leftist parties, largely because of it's less static ideology. The PWP is a heavy supporter of the IFTA and is finding a niche in criticizing the government's implementation.
- National Party(11)
The National Party ruled Coocoostan from 1991 to 2005 and is largely responsible for many of its institutions. It was the key member of the NEC, as its views are the closest to the other political parties. The current leader is Phillip Arnold, who was Secretary of Defence under the first Hagans government. The Party suffered greatly because of its association with the government, being reduced to it's lowest percentage of seats since elections began.
- Heritage Party(10)
The Heritage party is a centre-right party and has declined in recent years. Madeline Tang is leader, but after winning the Presidential election in October 2006 and then failing to be ratified as president, it is expected she will face a third leadership vote, especially after her abrasive conduct on the campaign trail.
- Labour Party(9)
The Labour Party had its first President elected in 2005, as Tammy Hagans became the 2nd President of Coocoostan. The party is primarily focused on improving working conditions and wages while still having a growing economy as well as furthering a centre-left agenda. It suffered a near-total defeat after the Second Hagans governments unwillingness to compromise when faced with a no-confidence vote.
- Green Party(8)
The Green Party enjoyed a steady upswing in popularity under it's newest leader, Craig Blain, a former MPC and now Secretary of the Interior. However, the party paid a high cost for Blain's "loyal challenge", dropping from the most seats to a mere 8. The Party is largely socialist in its approach, with the Environment and Labour as two key issues.
- Workers of Darrowmere(5)
A left-wing party with socialist and communist influences, with a support base in the former country of Darrowmere. The party used to advocate the rebirth of Darrowmeri independence, but is now accepting a place as defending a Darrowmeri identity. The party is strongly opposed to the renaming of the former Darrrowmere's provinces and cities. Their leader is the controversial ex-guerilla Bertrand Munta, who recently disowned those who continue to resist.
- Unionist Party(3)
The Unionists were one of two major political parties in San Andreas, purchased under the San Andreas treaty of October 2006. The former Governor of San Andreas, Michael Galley, is current leader and was the negotiator of the sale.
- Farmer's Union(3)
The Farmer's Union is a new movement, advocating, not surprisingly, Farmer's rights. The group favours the IFTA, but only as long as Farmers can still hire the cheap labour they need to turn a profit in the difficult agricultural market in the country.
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